Design and technology

"An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail." Edwin Land

Design Technology

Our School Values in Design & Technology:

We show love by learning and exploring different materials, mechanisms, designers and architects. 

We show courage by sharing and talking about our designs.

We show unity by helping each other and sharing techniques. 

We show inspiration by expressing ourselves and being proud of what we have achieved.

Our curriculum:

Design and technology at Bishop Aldhelm’s Primary School is an inspiring and practical subject that celebrates children’s creativity and imagination. Both as individuals and as part of a group, children take pride in designing purposeful and appealing products that show consideration of their own and others’ needs, wants and values. This involves the exploration of a range of topics including mechanisms, structures, textiles and food technology. We recognise that these skills help to prepare children to be secure and confident in a changing and increasingly technological world.

At Bishop Aldhelm’s school, to innovate, and therefore improve and make something better, is a key aspect of the children’s DT learning. The children are given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate current products and consider their effectiveness. Children become innovators by conducting research and asking questions to develop a detailed knowledge of users’ needs before considering how to design and create suitable products that meet a design brief. Resilience and perseverance are key characteristics that are developed and celebrated during DT lessons at Bishop Aldhelm’s. From Foundation through to Year Six, pupils are supported to use real tools as they learn how to take risks and become resourceful, innovative and capable citizens. 

In DT, our curriculum develops children’s knowledge of the following processes:

*Investigate   * Design       *Make       *Evaluate

The following topics are covered throughout the school, building on children’s knowledge each year:

*Textiles      *Cooking        *Structures      *Mechanisms

Importance to Bishop Aldhelm’s children:

Design and Technology (DT) at Bishop Aldhelm’s encourages children's creativity and encourages them to think about important issues. DT is about providing opportunities for children to develop their capability. By combining their design and making skills with knowledge and understanding they learn to create quality products. DT education involves two important elements - learning about the designed and made world and how things work, and learning to design and make functional products for particular purposes and users. In DT, children acquire and apply knowledge and understanding of materials and components, mechanisms and control systems, structures, existing products, quality and health and safety. The skills learned in DT also help with learning across the curriculum. Their knowledge about the properties of materials helps in science and the practice of measuring accurately helps in maths. These skills help in ICT through the children’s use of computer control and, naturally, in art and design. Design and Technology education helps develop children’s skills and knowledge in design, materials, structures, mechanisms and electrical control. They are encouraged to be creative and innovative, and are actively encouraged to think about important issues such as sustainability and enterprise.

Local Links

Locally we have a number of companies to inspire children’s DT skills at Bishop Aldhelm’s: Sunseeker Yachts, Lush, a number of car manufacturers, supermarkets, local farms. 

We want children to leave Bishop Aldhelm’s being able to:

• Know how evaluate products to see if they are fit for a purpose
• Create structures using wood, junk modelling and textiles for a purpose.
• Make 'something' for 'somebody' for 'some purpose'
• Know to make a variety of different healthy dishes to eat.
• Make choices about what food they eat from having the knowledge about where food has come from and how it is grown.